Fireworks started at 4 this afternoon in broad daylight. It's after 8:30 now, and it sounds like we are living in a war zone. Absolutely too many fireworks shows. This will go on all night and into early morning.

ACK! Firecracker just went off on the street behind us ~ startled me out of my chair.

Jim said that our house would survive a fire, because it's stucco, and our roof is concrete tile. What about our redwood fence, cedar garden shed, Tough Shed (Jim's workshop), wood deck, and giant eucalyptus tree?

And another damned firecracker! My nerves are shot, and I really don't need this!!!

I used to enjoy this holiday. Those days are over.

Love & Light,

Rose

Mom to Jon, 49, (seizure disorder; Gtube; trache; colostomy; osteoporosis; hypothyroid; enlarged prostate; lymphedema, assorted mysteries) and Michael, 32, (intractable seizures; Gtube), who were born with an undiagnosed progressive neuromuscular disease and courageous spirits. Our Angel Michael received his wings in 2003 and now resides in Heaven. Our Angel Jon lives at home with me and Jim, the world's most wonderful Dad.

Rose, I am sorry you are having to go through this. Our area is somewhat restricted as to when they can start and stop. You make me very happy that it is. Hope the rest of your night is not as bad as you think it might be. I am off to bed now.

I wonder if it's a West Coast thing, this zeal for noisy fireworks not just on July 4 but for weeks before and after it?

I noticed it in WA state too, and in OR it's the same. Exactly as Rose described it--and some of them make me jump out of my skin, almost.

That type of fireworks is illegal here but nobody pays much attention to that law. I used to call the number for people to call to report illegal fireworks but gave up on that. I don't usually know the exact location where they were set off, and even if I did, by the time law enforcement arrived, the people might be elsewhere.

About midnight, the major fireworks shows stopped, but the occasional booms continued until I went to bed at 3 a.m. I was so tired at that point, I fell asleep to the noise.

Our house is safe, thankfully, and as far as I know, there were no fires. However, on my walk this morning, there was a 360 degree low lying brown haze on the horizon and white smoky clouds in the sky. On the streets was the residue from private fireworks.

I want to appeal to our homeowner's association board to ban those fireworks in our community. Our city says they are legal. Fine, take them somewhere else, just don't set them off in our community.

I'm positive that will be voted down, so I won't waste my time.

We're expecting scorching hot weather for the next few days ~ 108-110 F. Jim changed the furnace filter, so we can run the a/c, which we will have to do.

We should also be prepared to use the generator.

The fun just never stops ...

Love & Light,

Rose

Mom to Jon, 49, (seizure disorder; Gtube; trache; colostomy; osteoporosis; hypothyroid; enlarged prostate; lymphedema, assorted mysteries) and Michael, 32, (intractable seizures; Gtube), who were born with an undiagnosed progressive neuromuscular disease and courageous spirits. Our Angel Michael received his wings in 2003 and now resides in Heaven. Our Angel Jon lives at home with me and Jim, the world's most wonderful Dad.

I don't know how well a fireworks ban works--or if it even could work. Law enforcement doesn't have the ability to have someone stationed at every streetcorner at all hours for several weeks or even for one entire day, and that might be what it would take to enforce it. There's a ban on explosive fireworks here, as well as on some other types, but it's a laugh because if you call the number to report them, you might be told that they can't do anything about it unless you pinpoint the exact address, and even then it would be difficult.

The problem might be easier to fix if fireworks were too hard to obtain. Around here there are all kinds of ways of buying them in spite of the ban.

The neighborhood mailing list I subscribe to normally generates only a few e-mails a day but in recent days my inbox has been getting dozens of messages a day, almost all from people complaining about the fireworks in this area. Some have included photos of local fires caused by fireworks and of their frightened pets.

Around here, it takes someone willing to provide leadership on an issue. You show up at town council meeting with as many supporters you can get, and you take the podium in the public comments section, elucidate the problem, make some suggestions as solutions. Point out that if it’s a law, the citizens expect efforts to enforce it.

One can also meet with the police chief with a handful of articulate citizens. And individually with town council members too.

I have done this on two issues. Both effectively. Just gotta decide if you want to pursue it.

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